The University of Rhode Island (URI) firmly supports academic freedom for scholars at academic institutions throughout the world. URI opposes a boycott of Israeli academic institutions based on this overarching principle. As an institution of higher education, academic freedom and opportunities for collaborative learning and discovery are core to our mission and values. Measures such as boycotting academic institutions can be counterproductive and pose a significant threat to the freedom of expression and pursuit of knowledge and its dissemination that we value as critical in carrying out our work. As the late Senator Fulbright wrote in 1983, “Educational exchange can turn nations into people, contributing as no other form of communication can to the humanizing of international relations.” We at the University of Rhode Island are firmly committed to the principle that educational exchange is the most powerful means for building a more understanding and just world.
Office of the President, Office of the Provost and Faculty Senate of The University of Rhode Island